Short Pony on a Short List

I joined an equine blogging network called Haynet about a month ago. It was very useful because I was finding it difficult to locate some good horsey blogs. I've found some I really like since joining. To my amazement, I found out on Tuesday that this blog is on a shortlist... to be the Haynet Equestrian Blogger of the Year!

My first reaction was - "Er, what?" I'd never even considered myself to be on such a list. After all, I've only got the one pony, and she's very small. To celebrate being shortlisted, I thought I'd share some of my favourite photos of Blue Belle since I got her back in June.

Blue Belle on her first day in her new home. She was nervous of me and would come over unless I rattled a bucket of sheep nuts at her. This was also before I'd gotten her a headcollar that fitted.

Surveying her new domain (and, note, wearing a new headcollar). I still couldn't catch her very easily at the stage. I could only get so close before she trotted away from me.

In the end I had to gently herd her into a smaller pen by walking behind her. Slowly, slowly I could catch her in here.

Blue Belle spent almost a week in this pen. I came up several times a day to catch her and reward her with a little piece of apple. By the second day she was coming to me and standing to be caught. I was also taking her for walks.

Here she is back in her field, curious about the camera. She knew that if she let me hook my fingers through her noseband, I would give her a treat.

Blue Belle being curious about the quad.

Blue Belle can look all the way out to the sea if she so chooses.

Blue Belle is lonely without company, so a lot of the time she is joined by Suckie, my 10-year-old pet ewe. They are both white (or light grey, in Blue Belle's case), small, and lovers of food. They've shared many a field together. I just wonder what Suckie has said here to make Blue Belle look at her like that!

This is the first day I noticed just how much fluff Blue Belle was growing.

By the time this photo was taken, I was able to take Blue Belle's headcollar off and leave her without it. A weight off my mind, I can tell you. Around the same time, I had the farrier round to trim her hooves, only to find that she was terrified of having her legs touched, let alone held up. It was small consolation that she was calmer when I was standing next to her, but it's a problem I'm still working on to this day.

The sunset on this evening was one of the best I'd ever seen.

If there's one thing Blue Belle loves to do, it's eat.

A picture of Blue Belle in which she is not eating is a rare thing. A picture of Blue Belle in which she is coming over to see what I'm doing instead of eating is beautiful. It makes it feel like the work I've been doing with her is paying off.

Just after one of our training sessions. I can touch her front legs and she'll lift them for a treat. Due to such bad weather recently we haven't progressed much further than that.

And now for my favourite photos from the last few weeks that haven't gotten as far as the blog yet. A sneak peek, if you will.

Blue Belle being adorable + low winter sun =

All three of Blue Belle's pony-sized pens have become so muddy that I've had to choice but to put her out in a field with some lambs and hope for the best. This was taken just before I spent about ten minutes convincing Blue Belle that it was safe for me to cut her tail shorter.

Blue Belle on Sunday:

The past six months have been a roller-coaster of What have a done? and My dream has come true and Where am I going to put her now? and I love her so much.

In the end, it's the last one that really matters.

So, if anyone wants this blog to become Haynet Equestrian Blogger of the Year, you can click here and vote for The Green Dogs. A big thank you in advance to anyone who votes for this blog. As for my vote, I'm still deciding between two of the blogs on the list. It's hard!

To even be on a shortlist is an honour. It's all Blue Belle's fault for being so cute.